Nutrition for Growth commitments: Improving nutrition in Viet Nam

Nutrition for Growth (N4G) is a global pledging moment to drive greater action toward ending malnutrition and helping ensure everyone, everywhere can reach their full potential. The first N4G Summit was held in London in 2013 where 100 stakeholders endorsed the Global N4G Compact and pledged more than USD 4 billion in new nutrition-specific projects and USD 19 billion in nutrition-sensitive projects. In 2021, N4G will continue to spearhead the effort to end malnutrition in all its forms at the Tokyo N4G Summit, to be held in December, which will focus on the critical roles of food, health, and social protection systems in delivering good nutrition for all.

On 28 June 2021, the SUN Civil Society Alliance (SUN CSA Viet Nam) sent their  N4G commitment, to demonstrate the network’s pledge to collaborate with the Vietnamese government and other stakeholders in improving the nutritional status of women, men, girls and boys.

Based on resources, capacities, and priorities of network members, in the period from 2021 to 2025, SUN CSA Viet Nam will focus on three main commitments including:

1. SUN CSA Viet Nam supports development of a functional monitoring system to track progress in stunting reduction among ethnic minority children.
2. SUN CSA Viet Nam commits to support the Government of Viet Nam to periodically monitor Code violations, preventing harmful marketing of breast-milk substitutes and protecting breastfeeding.
3. SUN CSA Viet Nam supports development of a functional monitoring system to track progress in obesity and overweight reduction among children and adults living in urban areas in Viet Nam.

The total budget for these commitments is estimated at around VND 1,216,000,000 equivalent today to some USD 53,000.

With experience in coordinating with stakeholders on numerous nutrition projects’ development and implementation as well as the best efforts of network members, SUN CSA Viet Nam believes that small contributions will drive positive impacts on improving the nutritional situation in this beautiful country.

“We greatly appreciate N4G, which is a global effort to bring together countries, governments, donors, NGOs and networks committed to ending malnutrition. Recognizing its significance, members of SUN CSA Viet Nam met, discussed, and agreed to join the Commitment. We are proud to be the first nutrition network to commit to the N4G,” stressed Ms Mai Thuy Hao – Save the Children Representative who currently chairs the SUN CSA Viet Nam network.